Memo to NFC: Beware the adaptable Saints

this is a discussion within the Saints Community Forum; CHICAGO -- Meet the patient, methodical version of the New Orleans Saints.
This week's incarnation of the still-perfect Saints (5-0) relied on ball security and a ball-control offense to finally win a game in Soldier Field, 26-18 over the Chicago ...

CHICAGO -- Meet the patient, methodical version of the New Orleans Saints.

This week's incarnation of the still-perfect Saints (5-0) relied on ball security and a ball-control offense to finally win a game in Soldier Field, 26-18 over the Chicago Bears on Sunday.

They're different than the Saints we saw six days earlier, torching the Miami Dolphins for more than 400 passing yards inside the Superdome. And they'll probably look a little different next week, too, when they face another "prove it" game on the road against the New England Patriots.

And that's why New Orleans might be the most dangerous team in the NFC right now.

The Saints are now the only unbeaten team in the conference because they did something the Seattle Seahawks (4-1) couldn't do on Sunday -- win on the road, outside of their comfort zone, against a tough opponent.

The Saints are finding different ways to win every week, whether it's a goal-line stand against the Atlanta Falcons in Week 1, a last-second field goal in a 16-14 scuffle at Tampa Bay in Week 2, dominant offensive outbursts at home in Week 3 and 4 or a patient attack on the road at Chicago in Week 5.

"Winning teams do certain things that give them a chance to win every week," said Saints coach Sean Payton, who repeatedly credited his team and quarterback Drew Brees for playing "smart" on Sunday.

"It hasn't been perfect," Brees said. "But I think what we have done is we've found different ways to win each week."

This particular road game meant a lot to the Saints. Soldier Field was a place that had tormented them in the past.

The Saints lost three straight games here -- in the 2006 NFC Championship Game and during the '07 and '08 regular seasons -- mostly because of turnovers and impatience and the inability to win the battles for field position and the time of possession.

All week long, players repeated Payton's message, "To do things you've never done before, you have to do things you've never done before."